Welcome to the Trope Repair Shop:

Welcome to the Trope Repair Shop, a.k.a. TRS. Despite the name, this is also the place to repair works pages if they have significant problems. Also, keep in mind that the forum rules apply here just as much as anywhere else. Keep it civil, please.

Moderated Thread Creation

As with some other subforums, thread creation here is moderated. We approve new topics on the basis of quality, with an eye to keeping the total number of threads manageable. If we don't approve your topic right away, consider helping advance some that are already in progress.

Threads marked with a gold medal have a crowner hooked to them that you can vote on. We encourage voting, even if you don't have anything to contribute to the conversation — but please make sure to read what's being voted on first!

Threads marked with a clock have been inactive or failed to reach a conclusion for long enough that we've given them a final deadline. If movement doesn't occur before the clock expires, the thread may be closed.

Threads marked with an orange asterisk have already reached a conclusion and will be closed as soon as someone finishes up the work of making whatever change was decided upon.

When to create a Trope Repair Shop thread:

First off, read What Goes Where In The Forums and the Projects Directory for topics that have their own threads. Also look up old topics and the renaming guidelines – the latter especially when you are arguing for a rename. Please take time to read these, it can avoid embarrassing errors and complaints later on.

To wit, these are the usual reasons to make a thread here, each tagged with its own TRS tag (we only allow preselected names in order to force people to state the problem and avoid overly-dramatic titles):

• The trope definition is unclear or ambiguous. This can be a sign that there is more than one trope, it can cause misuse, etc. Mind that bad descriptions (as opposed to definitions) have their own thread and some trope definition issues can be settled in Trope Talk
• The page is really a Useful Note, or better suited for that.
• The page is mostly used for Complaining. This is usually when the trope concept itself invites this behaviour – if the complaining is mostly limited to the examples, this thread is the place for you.
• The trope is not actually a trope as per Not a Trope, because it’s actually People Sit on Chairs, a meme or any other reason given on that page that discourages such entries.
• The trope is a duplicate of an already existing one. In this case, it’s usually better to tag the inferior page (less wicks, inbounds, examples, worse name etc.)
• The page lacks examples, wicks and especially inbounds, when it has been around a long time and has been properly crosswicked (For pages that didn’t get crosswicked, see here). Please do not make threads about recently launched pages, these go here.
• The examples (both on the page or in wicks) disagree with the description, i.e. the trope is misused. Note that you’ll almost certainly be asked to do a wick check if you are claiming this.
• The trope’s name is ambiguous, like when it’s e.g. also the name of a work, sounds like a different trope or is a line of dialogue. Since we used to get many spurious threads for this, please make sure you’re familiar with Everything You Wanted to Know About Changing Names before making such a thread, especially the section on when not to make a thread.
• The page’s name is a snowclone in violation of the guidelines spelled out at Everything's Worse with Snowclones. Again, keep in mind the guidelines spelled out in Everything You Wanted to Know About Changing Names.
• The page needs help in any other fashion, and the issue doesn’t have its own venue as under “first off” out above. Please do not make cleanup threads under this, these go to the Projects forums.

Please do not make Trope Repair Shop threads for the following:

• Adding examples or removing misuse from the page - if anything, you can post about it in the discussion page. Also, "I don't know the work" isn't a reason to hesitate - if an example doesn't seem to fit the description from reading alone, it should be removed, ideally to the discussion page with an edit reason.
• Clean up - it's likely that there is a dedicated thread listed here. And you can create a thread in Projects: Short Term for other cleanup-only things.
• Figuring out details about the trope definition - these usually run in Trope Talk.
• Bringing up the same issue over and over. We don't like people gaming the TRS system to get a result they want.
• Complaining about pages/policy/names.
• If you think you have a better name, but there's no problem with the current name.
• It is not necessary to announce minor clean-up projects, except if there is already a thread in the Projects forums.
• If the proposed change is minor nitpicking, it's probably pointless to try to start a TRS thread - past experience has shown us that it will either quickly turn into "get on with it" or will be tossed out after lengthy discussion that leads nowhere, therefore the mods won't even open it.

How to make a Trope Repair Shop topic

So, when you have decided that the issue needs Trope Repair Shop attention, make a thread, state your case in the OP and add the page’s title as a link to the page, in CamelCase to the relevant box in the createconversation function.

General behaviour (of everyone)

Naturally, the standard rules apply here as well.

Remember, the topic is about the wiki, so you should always explain how your proposal benefits the wiki and/or page proper, ideally providing data in favour of your stance. It isn’t about policy – keep policy discussions to Wiki Talk. We do ask that people not bump threads in the TRS. Only post on a thread if you are contributing to the discussion.

Record-keeping

Even before thread completion, a neutral summary for new incoming people in the OP is recommended but not required.

When a rename is successful, put the reasons on Renamed Tropes and Renamed Tropes. In all repairs, please add links to the thread to the discussion pages of the involved tropes.

Making a TRS Thread About a Broken Page

Before posting, make sure to read how to fix a trope.

If you're considering a trope rename, read Everything You Wanted to Know About Changing Names. Please don't make a thread about or derail a thread to be about the content on this page. If you want to discuss policy, we have a thread for that.

If a rename does go through, make sure to post to the Renamed Tropes thread and add to the Renamed Tropes list.

If a rename, transplant, merge, or split goes through, be sure to link the TRS thread on the relevant discussion page(s) and include a link to the Trope Launch Pad archive, if available, on the discussion page for the appropriate trope(s).

Finding a TRS Thread

Before looking for a TRS thread, be sure to read up on how to find old topics.

Edited by SeptimusHeap on Jun 15th 2020 at 9:55:52 PM

I'm bad, and that's good. I will never be good, and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be than me.